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How RFID is being used on the field at Super Bowl LIV

If you are tuning in to watch the San Francisco 49ers play the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LIV (and who isn’t?), it’s interesting to know some insider information about how the players and the ball will be tracked on the field. As you know, the game of football keeps getting more sophisticated, from the front line to back of the house operations. For coaches, they have the luxury of being able to make more informed decisions with real-time information about player movement – and they’re doing it with RFID technology from Zebra, the Official On-field Player-tracking solution for the NFL.

With RFID tracking, not only are they able to view exact player location (within 6”), but they are also able to view player speed on the field during every play. How are they doing it? Well, hidden in the shoulder pads of every player on the Superbowl field this year you’ll find 2 active RFID locators that ping multiple receivers located around the stadium; the data is retrieved and allows coaches to see exactly what is happening on the field.

In the past, coaches would obtain information from assistants who would review tape and give their observations. The problem was that sometimes the observations were conflicting. With RFID we can remove personal biases and observation points to create with pinpoint accuracy exactly what is happening on the field.

Ever notice why the football isn’t thrown in the stands as much as it used to be? That’s because there is probably an RFID indicator located inside the football. This is done to allow location of the ball to be determined at all times.

RFID is a win-win for teams and fans:

Using Zebra’s MotionWorks™ Solution, high-speed player data is captured and converted into real-time usable stats. Features include:

RFID tags on players track their movements, indoors or out, within 6”

Coaches can use this data to make changes, in real-time to each play

Using algorithms, player stats are aggregated and displayed in real-time

Ideal for training applications, practice becomes more effective when player data can take a visual form

The technology is easily integrated with graphics systems so it can be used during live broadcasts as well as replays

Fans get more out of the game with ability to view real-time player stats

Even more interesting is that the NFL has been using Zebra’s technology since 2014 and it has continued to improve and evolve ever since. This application is a prime example of how companies can track employee movement to further improve worker productivity and workflow processes, prevent accidents to keep employees safe, and keep company assets more secure.

For more information about RFID technology and how it can help streamline workflows in your organization, talk to us about your application and we can help you determine if RFID is right for you. Contact: info@taylordata.com